Quick assessment of 3 Windows tools to read/write Linux filesystems on dual-boot desktops

John,

Yup, that's how it worked for me.

I'm surprised to be honest. As far as I can remember none of the
Linux-based backup programs that I've tried started with such a selection
box. The first question most always was "which language do you want to
use".

(There is a "shutdown when complete" option; I usually leave that off, as
I like to come back and _see_ the "restore completed successfully"
message.)

:-) I would do the same. Even though I take it for a given that it would
*not* shut system down after failing the restore (thus giving you a
"fighting chance" to figure out what went wrong), I would never be certain
about it.

when you did a "format /sys b:" - or was it just "sys b:"

Both would work. The first on an empty floppy (just "/s" though), the
second as a afterthought on an already formatted one.

maybe there _are_ files in XP/7 that have to be in a specific place - if
there are, then Macrium's image/restore process puts them there.

Well, thats pretty-much my problem: If-and-when I would write a backup
method myself I must (ofcourse) be sure that what I'm restoring would result
in a fully working OS.

And the last time I've used a de-fragmenter I could see the system files
being differently marked, and not moving in the process. Even if that ment
another file had to be fragmented. Than again, that was a long time ago.
Nowerdays I do not even bother.

Well, I found it not too difficult to follow.

I find most everything new difficult to follow. I'm always in doubt if that
what I think is asked is actually the question. :-( Even one like
"which language" makes me stop and wonder if choosing the wrong one could
interfere with something further on. Just imagine what happens when it
comes up with "Hey, I found a number of partitions, which one do you want to
backup from" - or worse "restore to" (I've got several partitions, all 40
GByte).

Oddley enough, I've not seen a single backup program give the user the
possibility to show (a number of) files/folders in the root directory.
Would make it a *lot* easier to select the right source. Heck, it could
even work for selecting the target ...

OK, you'd have to give _some_ instructions: it doesn't make a bootable
image that restores itself.

:-) It would not be all that hard. Put an OS on the backup medium, copy
the restore program onto it, and tell it which image file to pre-select.
Accept? Are you sure? Wait.

And yes, thats pretty much the idea I have. Using either an USB disk or
stick. That should be enough for anyone grin But seriously, I imagine
that would cover 95%+ of all restorations.

And although the initial set-upping of the backup proces might be a bit of
work to figure out, all subsequent backups would, or *should*, go
pretty-much the same. Accept loaded configuration settings? Are you sure?
Wait.

When I've restored from an image to a new drive, it has done it: it
created the C: and hidden partitions [snip]

Thats not really what I want, or need OS backups for. When putting in a
new drive I normally install a fresh copy of the OS (if only to remove all
kinds of cruft present on the old one). But than again, not having the
data on that same partition (and having install files of everything I did
install on that OS partition) makes it easy to do.

I'm pretty sure it's just under Properties of the relevant folder or
pseudo-folder:

The moment I need it I think google will be good for it. :-)

Well, as I said, the Macrium CD I made fits on a mini-floppy

Could you tell me which version you're using ? Hearing you tell how easy
your version is to use to backup, and even easier to restore I would be an
{expletive} to not at least take a peek at it. If you still have the
website handy that would be dandy too.

I've always used a USB-connected hard drive, but I suspect it knows about
memory sticks too

Quite likely. Both are regarded bulk storage media. The only difference
between the two seems to be the "removable media" bit - which is a (windows)
driver, not a hardware thing. In short, nothing Macrium (Linux) should be
encountering.

Hmm. I would really like to see read-only switches on USB attached bulk
media again. Sticking an USB drive in a (possibly) infected machine and
hope it does not also infect it is not really my thing.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

In message , R.Wieser
writes:
John,

Yup, that's how it worked for me.

I'm surprised to be honest. As far as I can remember none of the
Linux-based backup programs that I've tried started with such a selection
box. The first question most always was "which language do you want to
use".

I can't remember whether the Macrium-running-under-Windows that I used
to _make_ the CD had a language selection. There are two ways you can
make the CD - one that looks like, and uses parts of, Windows, and one -
more spartan, and I think Linux-based. I chose the Windows one for the
familiarity - so it isn't Linux-based. I think it uses "PE-Builder",
which is AIUI (Paul will clarify perhaps?) either an open-source version
of Windows, or at least a version that Microsoft turn a blind eye to: I
think it has to be made on a valid Windows system, or something, and
possibly is only supposed to be used on that system - though I've used
it to image and restore this W7-32 machine when I put a bigger disc in,
despite having made the CD on my XP system, and it worked fine.
[]
when you did a "format /sys b:" - or was it just "sys b:"

Both would work. The first on an empty floppy (just "/s" though), the
second as a afterthought on an already formatted one.

Ah, I'd thought it was /s actually. (Anyway, do you think that's what
the S attribute is for [to tell the system what files to copy when doing
that]?)

maybe there _are_ files in XP/7 that have to be in a specific place - if
there are, then Macrium's image/restore process puts them there.

Well, thats pretty-much my problem: If-and-when I would write a backup
method myself I must (ofcourse) be sure that what I'm restoring would result
in a fully working OS.

So far, it has for me. First time with the XP system, when I replaced a
failing HD - on first boot after imaging/restoring it dud actually come
up in the Samsung recovery mode and did some repairs, but when that
finished, I was very relieved to see my old desktop reappear. I presume
something had been corrupted by the failing HD; it's for that sort of
reason I always include any hidden partition in the image I'm making.
When fitting a bigger drive to this 7-32 system, the restored drive
booted up exactly as the smaller one had before. When imaging a friend's
7-64 system before trying something I thought might break it (something
wasn't right later, and as time was getting short I just restored from
the image - and that which hadn't worked came back), again after the
restore it booted up fine.
[]
Well, I found it not too difficult to follow.

I find most everything new difficult to follow. I'm always in doubt if that
what I think is asked is actually the question. :-( Even one like
"which language" makes me stop and wonder if choosing the wrong one could
interfere with something further on. Just imagine what happens when it
comes up with "Hey, I found a number of partitions, which one do you want to
backup from" - or worse "restore to" (I've got several partitions, all 40
GByte).

Macrium makes an image file (or transparent fileset that it presents as
one image file at restore time, if your backup is on a FAT32 drive),
containing all the partitions you restore. On restore, you select which
physical drive you want to put the restored partitions on, and which
image file you want to restore them from, and it does that. (IIRR, it
can see the partition "names" ["volume labels" I think Windows calls
them] that have the image files on, so even if you have several the same
size, you should be able to tell which is which, provided you've named
them.)

Oddley enough, I've not seen a single backup program give the user the
possibility to show (a number of) files/folders in the root directory.
Would make it a *lot* easier to select the right source. Heck, it could
even work for selecting the target ...

AFAIK, Macrium doesn't work with files/folders, only partitions, for
what it's imaging/restoring. (The image itself is of course a file - of
type .mrimg - or set of them.)

OK, you'd have to give _some_ instructions: it doesn't make a bootable
image that restores itself.

:-) It would not be all that hard. Put an OS on the backup medium, copy
the restore program onto it, and tell it which image file to pre-select.
Accept? Are you sure? Wait.

Yes, I guess you could do that. Since I have what I think of _as_ the OS
- though it's actually some sort of OS (Windowsish) _and_ the Macrium
software - on a CD, and want to be able to use it on various systems, I
didn't worry about that: the software (including the OS) that's _doing_
the imaging and restoring is on the CD, the image files are on a drive
plugged into my external USB dock (or, in the case of my friend's
system, a little external USB drive case). So not the same place.

And yes, thats pretty much the idea I have. Using either an USB disk or
stick. That should be enough for anyone grin But seriously, I imagine
that would cover 95%+ of all restorations.

And although the initial set-upping of the backup proces might be a bit of
work to figure out, all subsequent backups would, or *should*, go
pretty-much the same. Accept loaded configuration settings? Are you sure?
Wait.

When I've restored from an image to a new drive, it has done it: it
created the C: and hidden partitions [snip]

Thats not really what I want, or need OS backups for. When putting in a
new drive I normally install a fresh copy of the OS (if only to remove all
kinds of cruft present on the old one). But than again, not having the
data on that same partition (and having install files of everything I did
install on that OS partition) makes it easy to do.

Ah, there we differ. I want all my software, as much as possible, to go
back exactly as I had it, including all the tweaks I've made over the
years, install licence keys, and so on. Especially those tweaks I don't
know now how I did!

If you're going to install a fresh copy of the OS anyway, what is it
that you're actually backing up (or hoping to)? "Just" its "activated"
status?
[]
Well, as I said, the Macrium CD I made fits on a mini-floppy

Could you tell me which version you're using ? Hearing you tell how easy
your version is to use to backup, and even easier to restore I would be an
{expletive} to not at least take a peek at it. If you still have the
website handy that would be dandy too.

I'm using version 5, though as I said I _think_ versions 6 and 7 would
fit on a mini-CD too (certainly on a full-size CD; I just like the
mini-CD format - I keep it with my backup drive, whereas I fear a
full-size CD would be more likely to get broken.) I used the
Windows-based rather than the other one. I actually made two mini-CDs -
one for 32-bit hardware and one for 64-; nothing to do with the bitness
of the Windows you're backing up, just the hardware. I think you could
use the 32-bit Macrium to back up any system; I'm not sure what the
advantage of the 64-bit one is, if your hardware is 64-bit - maybe a tad
faster. (I did find the 64-bit one wouldn't boot on my old XP system, so
I presume that - a netbook - was 32-bit hardware.)

I believe version 5 - and possibly 6 - doesn't have USB3 drivers; if
your backup hardware is USB3 (and the computer has USB3 ports), then
things will go faster if you get the version of Macrium that has them.
(Since my dock is only USB2, I don't worry.)

The website is macrium.com; however, it'll try to point you at the paid
versions. https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree is the free - but even
that'll try to get you to use the trial version; keep scrolling down!

I don't remember having any problems (other than avoiding the "buy" or
"trial" parts!) downloading it, installing it, and making the CDs (which
as I've said, is I think the only time I've ever run the in-Windows
version of it - I've since then always booted from the CD, whether
making an image or [no choice in that case] restoring from one);
however, from guides I've read here (mainly by Paul), there might be
traps involving making sure you get the right parts to make the CD.
(They're quite big downloads.) Searching the archives of the XP and 7
'groups should find you Paul's guides, if you need them.

I've always used a USB-connected hard drive, but I suspect it knows about
memory sticks too

Quite likely. Both are regarded bulk storage media. The only difference

I see from the website that it does. (Also that you can "mount" an image
and use that to restore individual files - though I suspect that's more
of interest to those who use it for everything, not just the OS.)

between the two seems to be the "removable media" bit - which is a (windows)
driver, not a hardware thing. In short, nothing Macrium (Linux) should be
encountering.

It isn't Linux! At least, the version I have isn't. It's some sort of
Windows.

Hmm. I would really like to see read-only switches on USB attached bulk
media again. Sticking an USB drive in a (possibly) infected machine and
hope it does not also infect it is not really my thing.

Agreed. (Though I have read that in some cases - might be the switches
on SD cards? - the switch isn't hardware, only something the computer
can read. In those cases, at least, the computer can equally well
ignore.)

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"Tolerating intolerance is not a virtue." - Barry Shein

"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote:
[...]

The website is macrium.com; however, it'll try to point you at the paid
versions. https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree is the free - but even
that'll try to get you to use the trial version; keep scrolling down!

To Rudy: I strongly recommend Macrium (Free)! Try it. I'm sure you'll
like it.

I see from the website that it does. (Also that you can "mount" an image
and use that to restore individual files - though I suspect that's more
of interest to those who use it for everything, not just the OS.)

The Free version can not do bulk file recovery, but can do
copy-and-paste operations in File/Windows Explorer, as if the mounted
image is just another drive(-letter).

I use this copy-and-paste method as an extra (in addition to Macrium's)
verification to check a file in the image is indeed the same as on the
backed-up disk. I.e. File/Windows Explorer copies file in the image to
'file (2)' on disk and then I compare if 'file (2)' is equal to
file on disk.

[...]

John,

I think it uses "PE-Builder", .... , or at least a version that Microsoft
turn a blind eye to: I think it has to be made on a valid Windows system

Ah yes, now I remember Macrium. The "you can't fully download it, you have
to make it while being online" was a *huge* turn-down for me. Also, the
feeling of a risk that when I *really* need it (when the hardware dies and I
thus have to "restore" to a new 'puter) it would refuse to run is not
something I need.

But if you know of an off-line method to create that PE environment I would
like to know. I've been trying to get hold of it a couple of years back
(Barts PE and all that), but the links seem to have dried out.

Anyway, do you think that's what the S attribute is for [to tell the
system what files to copy when doing that]?

No. Under DOS there are just three files that need to be copied to get a
running system: IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS and COMMAND.COM. And that was everything
the "/s" option or SYS would do. The rest had to be done by hand.

No, I think that the "s" attribute was ment to signal programs like the
defragger not to touch them, otherwise the OS could crash. Similar to how
you nowerdays should not try to, when Windows is up-and-running, move the
swapfile around (its rather possible that while the file holds everything
together, but that the actual access is bare-metal direct-sector. It
certainly would speed-up the caching. Caveat, a bit of a guess, never
actually looked into it).

(IIRR, it can see the partition "names" ["volume labels" I think Windows
calls them] that have the image files on, so even if you have several the
same size, you should be able to tell which is which, provided you've
named them.)

Yeah, that would work as well. :-)

Put an OS on the backup medium, copy the restore program onto it, and
tell it which image file to pre-select.
....
Yes, I guess you could do that.

It was just something I thought about, making the backup (to USB stick or
maybe even CD/DVD) self-sustained. Not needing to keep two media together
(the backup/restore program and the actual data) just seemed like a good
idea. And its not as if a small OS and equally small restore program would
matter much in regard to the total needed backup space. :-)

Ah, there we differ. I want all my software, as much as possible, to go
back exactly as I had it, including all the tweaks I've made over the
years,

That crossed my mind too. Than again, I'm in the habit of storing (the
webpage explaining) the tweaks in a seperate folder. And I export most
registry changes ofcourse.

Especially those tweaks I don't know now how I did!

Yes, *those* might be a problem. :-)

install licence keys, and so on.

Pretty-much the same thing the for everything I've got installed I also
have either the origional install media, but definitily the provided licence
keys stored.

But yes, I can definitily understand where you're coming from. Heck, if a
fresh install of the OS and software (which isn't much on this machine)
would not work I would most likely also go for a full OS partition restore.

I'm using version 5, though as I said I _think_ versions 6 and 7 would fit
on a mini-CD too

Nice. But why would I want to go use versions 6 or 7 when version 5 does
everything I need it for ? Yup, I'm conservative in that direction too.
:-)

I believe version 5 - and possibly 6 - doesn't have USB3 drivers; if your
backup hardware is USB3 .. then things will go faster if you get the
version of Macrium that has them.

Ah yes, that would be a good reason. Not that my old PCs have them though.

The website is macrium.com; however, it'll try to point you at the paid
versions.

Thanks for the warning.

Also that you can "mount" an image and use that to restore individual
files - though I suspect that's more of interest to those who use it for
everything, not just the OS

Not quite. Just think of a single important(ish) file going missing or
getting corrupted on it. You don't really want to have to restore the whole
OS partition, and loose all the recent changes (settings, email, edited
sourcefiles, you name it.).

It isn't Linux! At least, the version I have isn't. It's some sort of
Windows.

My apologies, you did mention that. A PE version of it.

The end result is pretty-much the same though: if it supports USB drives it
most likely also supports USB memory sticks.

Though I have read that in some cases - might be the switches on SD
cards? - the switch isn't hardware, only something the computer can read.
In those cases, at least, the computer can
equally well ignore

Exactly right and exactly right. Heck, the fact that the computer has to
send commands to the MicroSD card to be able to retrieve certain data blocks
(sectors) already proves that any kind of write protection outside of on the
cards chip itself isn't even possible.

By the way, I'l have another look at that Macrium website. Maybe I'll even
use a throw-away installation to create a Macrium disk (still don't like the
dependancy though).

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

Frank,

I strongly recommend Macrium (Free)! Try it. I'm sure you'll
like it.

Yes, its free. And yes, I might like it. But as mentioned, I sure dislike
(understatement) having to *be* online to create a working version.

And thats besides the question John brought up, that the PE part possibly is
bound to a certain hardware configuration. Which means that if your
hardware changes enough you need to re-create the the Macrium disk, and hope
the needed PE environment server is still there - which is not something I
really want to gamble on.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

In message , R.Wieser
writes:
Frank,

I strongly recommend Macrium (Free)! Try it. I'm sure you'll
like it.

Yes, its free. And yes, I might like it. But as mentioned, I sure dislike
(understatement) having to *be* online to create a working version.

It's so long since I made the CDs, that I don't remember whether I had
any problems of that nature now. I'm pretty sure that _making_ the CDs
was something I could do just by running the software installed in
Windows; you may be right that to create _that_ software I had to be
online, though I don't _think_ I did - I think I did it using one or
more downloaded files.

And thats besides the question John brought up, that the PE part possibly is
bound to a certain hardware configuration. Which means that if your
hardware changes enough you need to re-create the the Macrium disk, and hope
the needed PE environment server is still there - which is not something I
really want to gamble on.

No, you misunderstand me - I meant I thought it might be a _licence_
condition of using it. I've certainly used the CDs in at least four very
different machines: my old XP netbook (single-core), my oldish (Vista
era, I think) W7-64 laptop, this (i3 I think) W7-32 laptop, and my
friend's dual-core (Duo I think) W7-64 desktop. (There, I've admitted it
- used it on a lot more machines than the one I made it on [the XP
one].) I can't remember if that _was_ a nominal condition of using it -
I just had the feeling it might have been, since the CD causes "loading
Windows" to appear while it's booting, and I didn't think Microsoft
would like that without some restriction. But if there is any such
restriction, it hasn't stopped the CDs working on all those systems.
It's possible that it's such a crippled version of Windows - or only a
tiny part of it - that MS allowed it.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"Scheisse," said Pooh, trying out his German.

In message , R.Wieser
writes:
John,

I think it uses "PE-Builder", .... , or at least a version that Microsoft
turn a blind eye to: I think it has to be made on a valid Windows system

Ah yes, now I remember Macrium. The "you can't fully download it, you have
to make it while being online" was a *huge* turn-down for me. Also, the
feeling of a risk that when I *really* need it (when the hardware dies and I
thus have to "restore" to a new 'puter) it would refuse to run is not
something I need.

But if you know of an off-line method to create that PE environment I would
like to know. I've been trying to get hold of it a couple of years back
(Barts PE and all that), but the links seem to have dried out.

You've made me look in my download folders.
In D:\2014\9\28, I have a folder called macrium.32, which contains two
files: v5.3.7170_reflect_setup_free_x86.exe, 48,757 KB, and pe3x86.zip,
115,753 KB. I'm pretty sure those are what I built the software from
which I created my v5 CD.

In D:\2018\3\11, I have a folder called Macrium, which contains two
files: v6.3.1852_reflect_setup_free_x86.exe, 43,266 KB, and pe4x86.zip,
119,854 KB. I don't think I've ever used those.
[]
It was just something I thought about, making the backup (to USB stick or
maybe even CD/DVD) self-sustained. Not needing to keep two media together
(the backup/restore program and the actual data) just seemed like a good

It does. I don't know if Macrium can have a .ini file - or whatever the
modern equivalent is - that would allow that to be done.

idea. And its not as if a small OS and equally small restore program would
matter much in regard to the total needed backup space. :-)

Indeed not.

Ah, there we differ. I want all my software, as much as possible, to go
back exactly as I had it, including all the tweaks I've made over the
years,

That crossed my mind too. Than again, I'm in the habit of storing (the
webpage explaining) the tweaks in a seperate folder. And I export most
registry changes ofcourse.

Yes, but even if you _do_ have all the software install discs, and notes
on how to do tweaks, actually _doing_ them - and checking they're
working - would take many hours. (Days, for me I think - getting very
frazzled.) I have restored from a Macrium image in just the time it
takes to do the restore, and had a system boot up with all my installed
software back as it was.

Especially those tweaks I don't know now how I did!

Yes, *those* might be a problem. :-)

install licence keys, and so on.

Pretty-much the same thing the for everything I've got installed I also
have either the origional install media, but definitily the provided licence
keys stored.

But yes, I can definitily understand where you're coming from. Heck, if a
fresh install of the OS and software (which isn't much on this machine)

If you really haven't got much installed/tweaked on the machine, then
that might be very different.

would not work I would most likely also go for a full OS partition restore.

I'm using version 5, though as I said I _think_ versions 6 and 7 would fit
on a mini-CD too

Nice. But why would I want to go use versions 6 or 7 when version 5 does
everything I need it for ? Yup, I'm conservative in that direction too.
:-)

Well, I intend to continue to use my v5 CDs while they still work! (Or,
possibly, unless I get a machine with USB3 sockets _and_ a USB3 dock.) I
don't know if v5 - or v6 - would work with Windows 8.x or 10. But the
current version you'll get from the website is v7.x anyway; I'm not
aware of any _dis_advantage of v7 over the earlier ones. I doubt they're
available from the Macrium website anyway, so you'd have to find them on
a less reliable site - which may well not have them anyway, as they're
rather big (for downloads).
[]
The website is macrium.com; however, it'll try to point you at the paid
versions.

Thanks for the warning.

Also that you can "mount" an image and use that to restore individual
files - though I suspect that's more of interest to those who use it for
everything, not just the OS

Not quite. Just think of a single important(ish) file going missing or
getting corrupted on it. You don't really want to have to restore the whole
OS partition, and loose all the recent changes (settings, email, edited
sourcefiles, you name it.).

True. [Though I thought you were going to reinstall all your email
software and so on anyway ... (-:]
[]
By the way, I'l have another look at that Macrium website. Maybe I'll even
use a throw-away installation to create a Macrium disk (still don't like the
dependancy though).

Not there.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"Scheisse," said Pooh, trying out his German.

R.Wieser wrote:
Frank,

I strongly recommend Macrium (Free)! Try it. I'm sure you'll
like it.

Yes, its free. And yes, I might like it. But as mentioned, I sure dislike
(understatement) having to *be* online to create a working version.

You need to be online only when installing the software, *not* when
creating Rescue Media (based on Windows PE) on CD or USB memory-stick
and *not* while using the software.

And thats besides the question John brought up, that the PE part possibly is
bound to a certain hardware configuration. Which means that if your
hardware changes enough you need to re-create the the Macrium disk, and hope
the needed PE environment server is still there - which is not something I
really want to gamble on.

That's a theoretical problem, not one in practice, because you only
need a disk, display and keyboard device and those do hardly ever change
over time and if they change, they do not change quickly *and* you can
prepare for *possible* new hardware by adding extra drivers to your
existing Windows PE environment or/and changing the level of the PE
environment (for example for Windows 8 or 10 instead of 7).

So only if a totally new hardware type came out *and* your old system
would die *and* your new system would have to use *only* this totally
new hardware *and* Macrium would get out of business *and* all of this
would happen at the *same* time, there would be a problem. Not likely,
not likely at all.

But even for that totally unlikely event, you have file-level backup
(in addition to image backup), don't you!?

Bottom line: As I said, try it! It's free so you've nothing to lose
(except your time) and there's no point worrying about 'problems' which
you think might exist, without checking that they actually do exist.

"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote:

[...]

[About Macrium Reflect Free:]

Well, I intend to continue to use my v5 CDs while they still work! (Or,
possibly, unless I get a machine with USB3 sockets _and_ a USB3 dock.) I
don't know if v5 - or v6 - would work with Windows 8.x or 10. But the
current version you'll get from the website is v7.x anyway; I'm not
aware of any _dis_advantage of v7 over the earlier ones. I doubt they're
available from the Macrium website anyway, so you'd have to find them on
a less reliable site - which may well not have them anyway, as they're
rather big (for downloads).

v6 has Differential updates, v5 has not. Saves a lot of time/storage
and works like a charm.

Also you lose any other enhancements and bugfixes.

I'm also not into always using the latest and greatest, but I *do*
keep track of what enhancements and bugfixes come out and then decide
whether or not I want/need to install an update or upgrade.

So make sure you subscribe to Macrium's newslettter.

[...]

R.Wieser wrote:
Frank,

I strongly recommend Macrium (Free)! Try it. I'm sure you'll
like it.

Yes, its free. And yes, I might like it. But as mentioned, I sure dislike
(understatement) having to *be* online to create a working version.

There is a stub downloader.

The GUI on it, allows the selection of the main application
download (maybe 40-50MB) plus you can download a WinPE kit
at the same time (maybe 500-800MB, which is then compressed).

There is a tick box to not install right after the download
phase is finished.

Now, you have a directory "Macrium" with two files in it.
The directory can be copied to another machine. Running
the 40MB installer in that directory, it'll notice the
WinPE ZIP sitting next to it, and install that too.

Now, any time you run Macrium after the install is finished,
from the newly created Program Files, you can make the
rescue.iso if you want.

It's true you have to be "online" to do the initial download.

1) Download stub from reflectfree webpage.
2) Run stub, download 40MB installer, 500MB WinPE.

But after that, the folder with the two files can be
taken anywhere you want and reused.

Paul

Frank Slootweg wrote:
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote:

[...]

[About Macrium Reflect Free:]

Well, I intend to continue to use my v5 CDs while they still work! (Or,
possibly, unless I get a machine with USB3 sockets _and_ a USB3 dock.) I
don't know if v5 - or v6 - would work with Windows 8.x or 10. But the
current version you'll get from the website is v7.x anyway; I'm not
aware of any _dis_advantage of v7 over the earlier ones. I doubt they're
available from the Macrium website anyway, so you'd have to find them on
a less reliable site - which may well not have them anyway, as they're
rather big (for downloads).

v6 has Differential updates, v5 has not. Saves a lot of time/storage
and works like a charm.

Also you lose any other enhancements and bugfixes.

I'm also not into always using the latest and greatest, but I *do*
keep track of what enhancements and bugfixes come out and then decide
whether or not I want/need to install an update or upgrade.

So make sure you subscribe to Macrium's newslettter.

[...]

Macrium V7 appears to have lost the "imgtovhd" utility,
which is a reason I went back to V6 on the machine where
I was testing it. Most people don't need that, but I use
it a fair bit (judging by the number of junk vhd files
scattered about the place). There are clumsy ways
of replacing it, that don't work quite the same way
and need cleanup afterwards.

The excessive background CPU usage of a service in V7
was fixed.

Paul

On 09/30/2018 8:45 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote:

[...]

[About Macrium Reflect Free:]

Well, I intend to continue to use my v5 CDs while they still work! (Or,
possibly, unless I get a machine with USB3 sockets _and_ a USB3 dock.) I
don't know if v5 - or v6 - would work with Windows 8.x or 10. But the
current version you'll get from the website is v7.x anyway; I'm not
aware of any _dis_advantage of v7 over the earlier ones. I doubt they're
available from the Macrium website anyway, so you'd have to find them on
a less reliable site - which may well not have them anyway, as they're
rather big (for downloads).

v6 has Differential updates, v5 has not. Saves a lot of time/storage
and works like a charm.

Also you lose any other enhancements and bugfixes.

I'm also not into always using the latest and greatest, but I *do*
keep track of what enhancements and bugfixes come out and then decide
whether or not I want/need to install an update or upgrade.

So make sure you subscribe to Macrium's newslettter.

[...]


Hi Frank, I would like to subscribe to Macrium's newsletter but search
as I might all morning I cannot find anywhere on their site to do so, I
know my eyesight is pretty poor but I guess I missed it somehow.
I really would appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction.
Thanks in advance.

Rene

In message , Paul
writes:
[]
There is a stub downloader.

The GUI on it, allows the selection of the main application
download (maybe 40-50MB) plus you can download a WinPE kit
at the same time (maybe 500-800MB, which is then compressed).
[]
I've got what I assume is the latter (a .zip file) with each of my
installers; 1xx MB. Why isn't it compressed _before_ download?
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

The average US shareholding lasts 22 seconds. Nobody knows who invented the
fire hydrant: the patent records were destroyed in a fire. Sandcastles kill
more people than sharks. Your brain uses less power than the light in your
fridge. The Statue of Liberty wears size 879 shoes.
- John Lloyd, QI supremo (RT, 2014/9/27-10/3)

In message , Frank Slootweg
writes:
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote:

[...]

[About Macrium Reflect Free:]

Well, I intend to continue to use my v5 CDs while they still work! (Or,
[]
v6 has Differential updates, v5 has not. Saves a lot of time/storage
and works like a charm.

I've never trusted differential backup - just another possible point of
failure. But each to his own.

Also you lose any other enhancements and bugfixes.

That's a good point.

I'm also not into always using the latest and greatest, but I *do*
keep track of what enhancements and bugfixes come out and then decide
whether or not I want/need to install an update or upgrade.

So make sure you subscribe to Macrium's newslettter.

I think you are by default. Though I don't remember getting anything
from it, at least for some years, other than periodic offers of the paid
version at a discount - though it could be that I mentally block out
other news when it's accompanied by such an offer.
[...]
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

The average US shareholding lasts 22 seconds. Nobody knows who invented the
fire hydrant: the patent records were destroyed in a fire. Sandcastles kill
more people than sharks. Your brain uses less power than the light in your
fridge. The Statue of Liberty wears size 879 shoes.
- John Lloyd, QI supremo (RT, 2014/9/27-10/3)

Rene Lamontagne wrote:
On 09/30/2018 8:45 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:

[...]

So make sure you subscribe to Macrium's newslettter.

[...]


Hi Frank, I would like to subscribe to Macrium's newsletter but search
as I might all morning I cannot find anywhere on their site to do so, I
know my eyesight is pretty poor but I guess I missed it somehow.
I really would appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction.
Thanks in advance.

You can do so during the installation process:

"Would you like to register your free copy of Macrium Reflect?

This step is optional and will enable you to be informed about new
features and offers.
Your details will not be passed to a third party or used for any other
puropse."

- (leave at) * Yes - Mr Frank Slootweg - my email address - Next -

"Thank you for your registration ..."

I don't see a method to do it after the install, but if you want, you
can always do a re-install (which will keep your settings).

N.B. The upgrade from v6 to v7 was I new install (at least it was for
me).